As the competition looms, Puerto Rico unveiled who will be joining them at the WBSC Premier12 Tournament in November. Puerto Rico will be led by manager and former MLB All-Star Juan “Igor” Gonzalez. Here is who will be joining Puerto Rico’s squad in just a few weeks:
PITCHERS:
CATCHERS:
INFIELDERS:
OUTFIELDERS:
*—— Denotes MLB experience
Eight players on Puerto Rico’s roster have appeared in the major leagues, with those players set to provide leadership for a younger Puerto Rican team. Also, most players on the team have experience playing in Minor League Baseball, including one player who was selected in the 2024 Draft, Randal Diaz. Also, catcher Luis Hernandez is the only college player featured on the roster, where he will play his 2025 season at Louisiana State.
The son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez, Dereck Rodriguez will look to lead Puerto Rico’s rotation. Rodriguez made his MLB debut in 2018 with the San Francisco Giants. The right-hander would pitch from 2018-2023 with the Giants, Twins, and Braves organizations. In his MLB career, Rodriguez has a 12-16 record, a 4.49 ERA in 57 appearances in 35 starts, striking out 167 batters in 234.1 innings. Rodriguez spent the 2024 season with the Charros de Jalisco in Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (LMB). Making 16 starts, Rodriguez went 6-2, posting a 4.50 ERA, striking out 51 batters in 82 innings.
Veteran infielder Vimael Machin will look to establish himself as a leader for Puerto Rico’s offense. The Oakland Athletics selected Machin during the Rule 5 Draft before the 2020 season. He would spend three seasons with the A’s, playing in 112 games, a career .208 average, hitting one home run, and driving in 14 RBIs. As for 2024, Machin played in his second season in LMB, joining the Charros de Jalisco. He swung a hot bat in Mexico, hitting .401 in 85 games, blasting seven home runs with 54 RBIs while stealing ten bases.
Javier Vaz is an intriguing prospect to keep an eye on this November. The second baseman/outfielder was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 15th round of the 2022 MLB draft out of Vanderbilt University. This season, Vaz spent the entire season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Vaz hit .263 in 115 games, hitting eight home runs and 42 RBIs while stealing 16 bases. Seeing how manager Juan Gonzalez will utilize Vaz in Puerto Rico’s lineup should be interesting.
Puerto Rico will begin its journey in the Premier12 during the Opening Round on November 9. It will face the United States at Estadio Santa Teresita in Tepic, Mexico. The first pitch is set for 6 PM EST.
